The present invention relates to food preparation devices, and more particular, such devices known as home cooking appliances.
The number of tasks that people must complete each day is increasing as time passes by. As a result, it is necessary for people to either eliminate non-essential tasks in order to free up time for necessary tasks, or to reduce the amount of time that is spent on one or more tasks. Non-essential tasks which are eliminated often include recreational activities. Some tasks, however, can not be eliminated. For example, while workers are required to work increasingly longer days, each worker must provide themselves with the basic living essentials. Among other things, such needs include food.
Over time, a wide variety of appliances have been developed for reducing the time necessary to prepare food for consumption. Such devices are numerous, and include toasters, microwaves, blenders and the like. In general, however, these devices are adapted to perform only a single simple function, such as heating, toasting or the like. The act of food preparation still generally requires one to engage in a number of acts. For example, to prepare many foods, a person must utilize a stove to heat the food ingredients while manually mixing or stirring the ingredients, and manually controlling the heat applied to the ingredients via burner controls of the stove. In addition, the xe2x80x9csingle-functionxe2x80x9d appliance often consumes too much kitchen space in relation to its level of usage. For example, a bread machine may only be used once a week to bake a loaf of bread, but consumes a great deal of space.
Another problem with many appliances which have been developed is that they are too complex to operate or are not user friendly. For example, an appliance which is difficult to set up and/or clean is not likely to be used.
Many current appliances also waste energy. For example, much of the energy used to heat a burner of a stove heats the surrounding air and not the food which is being prepared. The user pays for this wasted energy.
It is desired to provide an appliance which is capable of performing multiple of these food preparation tasks. In addition, it is desirable for the appliance to be user-friendly in both set-up and clean-up. It is an additional desire to provide an appliance which is energy efficient. Furthermore, it is desirable to provide an appliance meeting the above-stated desires that is also compact and space-efficient.
The present invention comprises an improved food preparation appliance, including the configuration and assembly thereof, as well as a method of preparing food.
In one embodiment, the appliance includes a food preparation container and a base unit. The base unit includes a stirring mechanism drive and a heating element. The heating element comprises an induction heating element. The stirring mechanism drive includes a motor which drives a drive pin.
The base unit has a control panel for use in controlling the stirring mechanism drive and the heating element. In one or more embodiments, the base unit includes a processor and memory storage device. Specific control sequences are stored and may be processed, whereby the stirring and heating mechanisms operate in a specific sequence and manner. In one embodiment, control information, such as cooking control instructions associated with a particular recipe of food to be prepared, may be downloaded from a remote location to the base unit via a telecommunication link.
In one or more embodiments, the food preparation container comprises a specially configured pot. The pot has a mixer which is removably located in its interior. The mixer includes a helical central blade and an outwardly extending swiping blade. The mixer includes a spindle for connection to the drive pin of the base unit via a connecting rod.
The pot has a specific multi-layer construction which optimizes heat generation via the induction heating system. The pot may be removed from the base unit and used independently thereof.
In use, a user places food ingredients into the pot. The user may manually control the heating and stirring mechanism of the appliance using the controls, or initiate a pre-programmed cooking sequence, such as from a memory device associated with the appliance or downloaded from a remote location. During cooking, heat may be added to the food ingredients using the heating mechanism. The food ingredients may be stirred with the mixer. In an embodiment where the mixer includes a helical blade, the direction of rotation may be changed to cause the mixer to move ingredients up and/or down through the pot.
The pot may be removed from the base unit for serving purposes. Other pots or pans may be placed upon the base unit and the base unit may be utilized as a hot plate.
For clean-up, the mixer may be separated from the pot. The base unit may be wiped clean.
The invention provides a multi-function food preparation appliance which is compact. The appliance is also energy efficient.
Further objects, features, and advantages of the present invention over the prior art will become apparent from the detailed description of the drawings which follows, when considered with the attached figures.